Pomeranian Metropolitan Railways – the functioning and directions of development

The article presents the current functioning of the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway. Significant achievements were identified – especially the large number of passengers in regional connections – with Kartuzy and Kościerzyna, as well as a systematic increase in the number of passengers in all destinations. Failures were also pointed out – above all, an unsatisfactory number of passengers in metropolitan connections. This largely results from a low frequency of trains, maladjustment of the public city transport to the Metropolitan Railway stations and weak connections with trains of the Fast Urban Railway at railway stations in Gdynia Główna and Gdańsk Wrzeszcz. Yet, the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway is developing – the main example being the launch of new stops, Gdynia Karwiny and Gdynia Stadion, on 10 December 2017. Further investments are being planned – including, first of all, construction of a new stop Gdańsk Firoga, electrification of the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway and modernization of railway line No. 201, whose section between Gdynia Główna and Kościerzyna constitutes part of the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway. On the other hand, apart from overcoming the mentioned shortcomings which have appeared during the functioning to date, the directions of the development of the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway should primarily be the extension of the line from Kartuzy to Sierakowice and the construction of a platform for the Pomeranian Metropolitan Railway along with the existing platform for the Fast Urban Railway in Gdynia Wzgórze Św. Maksymiliana.